Tool for assessing and calculating biodiversity

Abstract

Example methods and systems are directed to an automated tool for generating a biodiversity indicator. A graphical user interface (GUI) is presented at a user device. First data is received via the GUI. The first data identifies a plurality of species associated with a geographic region. Second data is accessed that comprises, for each species, a reference value and a current value of each of a plurality of biodiversity metrics. The biodiversity indicator for the geographic region is generated based on the second data. A graphical element that includes the biodiversity indicator is automatically generated and presented at the user device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a memory that stores instructions; and   one or more processors configured by the instructions to perform operations comprising:
 causing presentation of a graphical user interface (GUI) at a user device; 
 receiving, via the GUI, first data identifying a plurality of species associated with a geographic region; 
 accessing second data comprising, for each species, a reference value and a current value of each of a plurality of biodiversity metrics; 
 generating, based on the second data, a biodiversity indicator for the geographic region; 
 automatically generating a graphical element that includes the biodiversity indicator; and 
 causing presentation, via the GUI, of the graphical element at the user device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the biodiversity indicator provides a numerical representation of biodiversity in the geographic region. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein generating the biodiversity indicator comprises:
 generating, based on the second data, a reference index value and a current index value for each respective species;   aggregating the reference index values to obtain a reference biodiversity index score for the geographic region;   aggregating the current index values to obtain a current biodiversity index score for the geographic region; and   automatically comparing the current biodiversity index score with the reference biodiversity index score to obtain the biodiversity indicator.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein generating the reference index value and the current index value for each respective species comprises:
 generating a reference weighting coefficient for the respective species;   applying the reference weighting coefficient to the reference value of at least one of the biodiversity metrics to obtain the reference index value;   generating a current weighting coefficient for the respective species; and   applying the current weighting coefficient to the current value of at least one of the biodiversity metrics to obtain the current index value.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein generating the current index value for each respective species comprises:
 determining whether to apply a penalty to the current index value based on whether a penalty criterion is met for the respective species.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of biodiversity metrics includes an abundance metric, and wherein the penalty criterion is met if the current value of the abundance metric for the respective species exceeds the reference value of the abundance metric for the respective species by a threshold value. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
 automatically converting the biodiversity indicator from a non-standardized format to a standardized format for presentation within the GUI.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the standardized format comprises an expression of a current biodiversity index score for the geographic region as a percentage of a reference biodiversity index score for the geographic region. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical element is a first graphical element, the operations further comprising:
 automatically generating a second graphical element that includes a reference indicator for the geographic region; and   causing presentation of the second graphical element in association with the first graphical element within the GUI, wherein the second graphical element is visually distinguished from the first graphical element.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical element is a first graphical element, the operations further comprising:
 generating, based on the first data, a species richness value for the geographic region;   automatically generating a third graphical element that includes the species richness value; and   causing presentation of the third graphical element with the first graphical element within the GUI.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical element is a first graphical element, and wherein the biodiversity metrics include a bio-dominance metric, the operations further comprising:
 receiving, via the GUI, third data comprising a size of the geographic region;   generating, based on the third data and the current values of the bio-dominance metric, a concentration indicator for the geographic region;   automatically generating a fourth graphical element that includes the concentration indicator; and   causing presentation of the fourth graphical element with the first graphical element within the GUI.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first data identifies one or more categories of each species, the one or more categories comprising at least one of: fauna, flora, land, air, water, ocean, migratory, or invasive. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , the operations further comprising:
 detecting that a particular species of the plurality of species is categorized as invasive with respect to the geographic region; and   automatically reducing a value of the biodiversity indicator based on the categorization of the particular species as invasive with respect to the geographic region.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , the operations further comprising:
 detecting that a particular species of the plurality of species is categorized as migratory with respect to the geographic region; and   automatically applying a reduced weighting coefficient with respect to the particular species based on the categorization of the particular species as migratory with respect to the geographic region.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the biodiversity metrics comprise at least one of: an abundance metric, a bio-dominance metric, a scarcity metric, a migration metric, a permanence metric, an overpopulation metric, a species richness metric, or an evenness metric. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the reference values represent historic values of the plurality of biodiversity metrics at a determinable date. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory and the one or more processors form part of a portable computing device. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
 providing remote access to the GUI over a network to enable a user to update, via the user device, the current values of the biodiversity metrics, thereby to cause automatic updating of the biodiversity indicator within the GUI.   
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 causing presentation of a graphical user interface (GUI) at a user device;   receiving, via the GUI, first data identifying a plurality of species associated with a geographic region;   accessing second data comprising, for each species, a reference value and a current value of each of a plurality of biodiversity metrics;   generating, based on the second data, a biodiversity indicator for the geographic region;   automatically generating a graphical element that includes the biodiversity indicator; and   causing presentation, via the GUI, of the graphical element at the user device.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 causing presentation of a graphical user interface (GUI) at a user device;   receiving, via the GUI, first data identifying a plurality of species associated with a geographic region;   accessing second data comprising, for each species, a reference value and a current value of each of a plurality of biodiversity metrics;   generating, based on the second data, a biodiversity indicator for the geographic region;   automatically generating a graphical element that includes the biodiversity indicator; and   causing presentation, via the GUI, of the graphical element at the user device.